Considering LTE networks are here to supersede 3G while obsoleting 2G and lower landline speeds have jumped upto 15Mbps implemeting Docsis 3.0 specs and IPv6 which is being pushed to replace IPv4; all this accelerating the implementation Wifi AC.

Router CPU's(for wifi N) are based on the MIPS architecture and a whole majority of them are manufactured by Qualcomm and using the same brand-- Atheros -- just as their ARM cousins.

The router's MIPS chips for wifi AC are dual cores having atleast 2 usb ports. Further allowing NAS+HTPC+cloud+LTE integration all built into the router. Maybe even connect a usb to hdmi adapter. Load balancing using multiple 3G modems has already been implemented( at least in openWRT). So definitely they are more power hungry, consuming 19V at 2Amps. It should also have web server capabilities and CMS/ web frameworks built into the firmware or aptly put OS. Future DDWRT and OpenWRT (both are linux based)should address these issues and implement them.

DDWRT and Openwrt are pretty powerful and is just like any power linux distro wherein you can install apps via the internet just as you would with any linux(ofcourse that means porting apps to the MIPS architecture.)

By 2015 1 billion devices are to be shipped with wifi AC; whereas wifi N device production will nose dive.

That being said; this ought to increase more E-waste if people were to throw away older equipment. Hopefully thanks to OpenWRT and DDWRT we could reuse it as range extenders or HTPC etc.